Auribus Tenere Lupum
by Pookie2
Summary: The Courier takes up Caesar's offer to visit Fortification Hill.  Part 2 of the "All the Things You Are"  storyline.  A continuation of Companions.
1. Fas Est et ab Hoste Doceri

Hey folks, I know I said that I'd be doing a Dead Money story next. Well, I've actually got four stories in the works, Dead Money is included. These all take place in the same story line as the Companions series. The whole series is called "All the Things You Are." Enjoy!

* * *

"If I'm not back in twelve hours," Layla, The Courier, paused where she stood outside Ranger Station Foxtrot, overlooking the valley below. "Then I'm probably not coming back."

Raul sighed, looking at the girl. She turned the signet coin in her hand as she looked over the hill, face grim. A few days ago, she had asked Raul to go with her on a trip. The old man should have figured something was up when she went to great lengths to make sure no one knew where they were going.

Layla looked back at him, putting on one of her 'business' smiles. Raul knew it was forced. He'd been around the girl long enough to know which of her smiles were real. He frowned for a moment, thinking about the situation. He hadn't thought too poorly of the Legion before, but after traveling with the girl and her friends, he had seen what the group was capable of.

"Are you sure you want to do this? You don't want to work with them. Why even go?" He caught the girl's smile falter for a moment, starting to adopt the sheepish look he saw her wear often.

"Um, did I mention they might have the Platinum Chip?"

Raul gave her a look. "Must have slipped your mind. I'm coming with you."

Layla's fake smile immediately morphed into a stern 'leader' look. "Absolutely not. You're staying here. I'll get the chip and be back soon." Her tone left no room for argument, and Raul knew when there was no reasoning with her. She turned her gaze back to valley below, to Cottonwood Cove.

"If things do go badly, then this is it." She looked over to her ghoul companion, a wistful smile on her lips. "Thanks for everything."

"Don't talk like that, Boss. Just get back here quick."

The girl smiled again, then squared her shoulders and left the ghoul were he stood. He watched her descend the hill and disappear from sight. Once she was gone, he walked back to the ranger station and into the comm tent.

The comm officer looked up as he entered. "Something I can do for you?"

Raul sighed, then nodded. "Can you get a message out for me?"

*.*.*

Layla held her head high as the raft carried her and her Legion escort toward Fortification Hill. The Legionaries she had encountered at Cottonwood had been cordial, if not stiff, when she had presented the coin she had been given by Vulpes Inculta.

Now, however, she was going into the lion's den, and her heart was pounding, despite her efforts to calm herself. Outwardly, she appeared cool and collected. She had banished the thought of her companions and how much she was starting to regret not taking one of them with her. She had dismissed the idea at first. She couldn't be sure this wasn't a trap, and she'd never allow one of her friends to get sucked into it with her.

It didn't make the encampment looming nearer any less intimidating, or make her heartbeat slow. As she stepped off the raft and was directed toward the gate, Layla had to wonder why she had thought this was a good idea. Again her stupid curiosity had gotten her into trouble. Though, she had to admit as the guard at the gate took all her weapons and stimpaks, she had never gotten herself in this much trouble.

It was curiosity that gave her back her nerve, however. Her escort remained at the gate, directing her toward Caesar's tent. They must not have considered her a threat without her gear, as she was free to roam.

It didn't take long for her curiosity to bear grim fruit as she moved further into the camp. A line of crucifixes were posed against the river, and one still had a live captive tied to it. A lump gathered in her throat, and she started toward the man, not sure what to do.

In Nipton, when she had met her first Legionnaires, she had also seen her first crucifixions. Vulpes Inculta had met her in the center of town, telling her in his dangerous, silken voice to spread word of their deeds. She hadn't been long out of her grave at Goodsprings when she had stumbled onto the destruction of the town. All she had been able to do after helplessly watching the Legionnaires walk away from their crime was to put the crucified prisoners out of their misery. She still saw those men's faces in her dreams.

She neared the crucifix, not sure what she was going to do, but was stopped by a voice calling to her.

"Caesar's tent is that way, or are you just seeing the sights?" a voice shouted to her. She caught sight of one of the Decanus glaring at her from further up the path. Layla looked up at the man on the repurposed telephone pole, swearing she would get back to him. For now, it seemed like the entire camp was watching her.

Further up the path, Layla caught sight of a man. She had to look at him again to figure out what was odd about him. She almost laughed when she figured it out: he wasn't wearing a skirt. Judging by the pack Brahmin behind him, he was a trader. He gave her a curious look as she approached.

"Hello, Miss. Care to trade?" Layla could feel the rage resurfacing in her throat.

"Do you work for the Legion?"

He laughed. "No. Well, I do business with them, but I'm just a trader." He guessed from the look she was giving him that she was expecting more of an explanation. "Working with the Legion isn't a bad deal. Hell of a lot safer than operating in NCR territory. If raiders know you're a Legion-sanctioned trader, they leave you alone. That and you don't have to deal with NCR taxes."

Layla walked away from the man without another word. She had to before she punched him in the mouth. Supplying these monsters just because it was easier and more lucrative almost seemed more evil than what the Legion was doing itself. The Courier knew she needed to keep civil if she was going to survive this encounter, and that walking testament to human weakness wasn't helping her demeanor.

Continuing on, The Courier neared an eating area, catching the eye of a woman who was mixing what looked like medicinal powders. Layla approached her table and the woman looked up.

"I haven't seen a free woman in years." She looked like she wanted to smile, but didn't. "My name is Siri. Are you wounded? Do you need anything?"

Layla looked at what she was mixing, which seemed to be a crude healing powder. Layla could see the combination she was using was off, but kept her mouth shut. She sure as hell wasn't going to strengthen the limited healing capabilities the Legion employed. The woman was still staring at her, so she spoke up.

"You're a doctor?" The Courier said, not sure how to talk to the woman, who look like she was struggling with the same issue.

"No, never finished my training. The Legion wiped out my town and I've been here since."

"How is it for you? For any of the slaves?" Layla blurted out. She immediately regretted it as the woman looked weary and pained. She glanced around to make sure they were out of earshot of any of the men before she answered.

"We're property. They'll leave you alone if you're too old or young… usually." The Courier gave her a confused look before suddenly and horribly realizing what she meant. The slave gave her a furtive look before continuing. "You'd better watch yourself, too. Some of the men have been talking about 'trying you out.'"

Layla had figured as much, but hearing it made it far more real. She looked over her shoulder where a few Legionnaires were indeed staring at her. The Courier really hoped this hadn't been a trap. She could feel her doubts doubling as she noticed the sheer number of Legionaries all around her.

She pushed away from the table, nodding once to Siri, and continued on, heart heavy. As she walked through the next gated area, she could feel anger building up in her. Suddenly, Boone's unquenchable fury at the Legion was easy to empathize with. She wanted to kill every one of these bastards all the way back to Arizona.

The Courier came across the opening of what looked like an enclosed fighting pit where a match seemed to be in progress. She peeked past a few of the Legionaries who were gathered watching the contenders. When Layla looked, she found they were not soldiers as she had thought, but instead two emaciated slaves. They half-hearted swung their machetes at each other to the jeers of the crowd.

Disgusted and reaching her limit, Layla turned away, coming face-to-face with a particularly sour-looking Legionary. He looked her over slowly, face etched in disgust.

"What are you doing? This is no place for you _woman_." Layla's eyebrow rose, hands going to her hips immediately. Her defiant posture didn't seem to please the man, who sneered further.

"You are fortunate you bear the Mark of Caesar, or I'd teach you a woman's place."

Layla stifled a chuckle. "Cute, from a guy wearing a skirt."

Some of the other Legionaries had caught that remark and turned. Layla showed no fear, glaring at the Arena caretaker. If the man hadn't found enough contempt for The Courier prior, he seemed to have found his limit. He grabbed her arm, surprising her.

"Don't force me to ignore Caesar's Mark."

Layla tried to pull away, but he easily overpowered her. She stared, wide-eyed, at him, trying not to panic as he grabbed her chin with his other hand.

"You're lucky, girl. You're not my type."

Desperate to get away, she was about to kick at him when he suddenly shoved her away, laughing.

"Go, woman. You're keeping Caesar waiting!"

Layla heard some of the other Legionaries laugh as she stumbled away from the arena master. She felt their eyes on her as she hastily made her way around the camp, away from the arena.

The Courier decided that she had to get to Caesar and get this over with. Her curiosity wasn't sated, but her often-ignored sense of self-preservation was finally winning out.

When she reached the entrance to Caesar's tent, she found herself staring at it for a moment. The soldier guarding the entrance stared at her, confused. Layla shook her head, clearing it, and showed her coin to the guard. He gave her a warning look as he pulled open the tent flap. She took a deep breath and stepped in.

* * *

From here on I'll be doing regular updates, which should be every Tuesday and Saturday. I hope you all tune in!


	2. Odium theologicum

Sick with apprehension, Layla entered Caesar's tent, taking a deep breath and trying to at least give the appearance that she was calm.

There were a handful of men in the tent, and when Layla stepped in, they all turned to her, growing quiet as the tension suddenly became palpable. The girl noticed Vulpes Inculta among them, his piercing eyes boring into hers. In defiance, she squared her shoulders and marched toward the man sitting on the elaborate throne in the center of the tent. Caesar looked her over as she approached, his face hard to read. His expression then hardened into a sneer, and he spoke.

"So, this is the one who destroyed my troops at Nelson and ruined my plans with the Omertas. The one who has caused me so much trouble." Layla fought to keep the neutral look on her face, even as she could feel sweat start to bead on her neck.

"And here you are, bold as can be, in front of the mighty Caesar. Why?" The Courier frowned at his question, as she was unable to come up with a definite answer. She hadn't let herself really think about it until now. She realized the truth, as stupid as it was: she came her because she was curious. There was the Platinum Chip sure, but the opportunity to see how the Legion worked from the inside was too much to pass up. She couldn't say that, so she reached for another answer.

"You guaranteed my safety." The Courier tried not to think about how lame that had sounded. Caesar raised an eyebrow, but the grimace held on his face.

"And you trusted that? Really? Because I'm going to have you killed now." The tension in the room rose to a crescendo. Layla eyes widened, glancing up at the guards, at Inculta, who returned her look with a feral smile. Then Caesar grinned.

"I'm just fucking with you."

Layla stared dumbly at him, his words didn't process for a moment. A few of the guards chuckled. She was barely able to keep a laugh down as suddenly the tension was gone from the room. It was at that moment The Courier suddenly realized the real game had begun.

This wasn't a friendly meeting, this wasn't idle curiosity on his part, this was a test. The man who sat across the room from her had made an empire by talking his way out of imprisonment, turning his enemies into his servants. She was at a disadvantage, several actually. She had walked in scared and unsure, disturbed by the slaves and slavers alike. Caesar must have realized this, and had tested her. He had the first win of this battle of wills.

Layla considered herself a modest girl, but she knew she had a gift with words. At least, that was what she was told. In reality, it was empathy that she used. If she could put herself in another's place, she could coax out what they knew, or wanted, or what she wanted. She had walked into this camp hoping not to have to get into a fight she couldn't win, with fists or guns or knives. She certainly hadn't expected to walk into the only fight she possibly could win alone.

Caesar was appraising her while she did the same to him, and she wondered just how much he knew about her. If he knew what he was dealing with.

"Why did you want me to come here?"

The aging man smiled coldly, "Because when you want something, you get it. Wherever you go, things get done. Hostages go free, rockets fill the night sky, and casino bosses flee."

"You seem to know an awful lot about me." Layla let her eyes pointedly wander to Vulpes Inculta, who was still watching her like a predator watching prey. Caesar noted her focus.

"It behooves me to know the land I'm to conquer. That includes the people who change things in it."

Information was another advantage in his vast repertoire, and Layla knew it. She mostly had rumors about Caesar, and most of them from scared NCR soldiers or the frenzied screams of Legionaries. She grasped at the question that burned in her mind beyond these thoughts.

"What do you want me to do?"

The aging man leaned back in his chair, face still neutral even as he smiled. "I plan to take back my dam and make New Vegas my Rome. I can't do that with House playing king. I need him out of the picture, and you are going to do it."

"And why do you think I'm going to do that?" She was gambling now, the tone she used seemed to rankle a few of the Praetorians, but the one who seemed to be their leader gave them threatening looks. That was heartening, Caesar clearly wanted her to talk. She looked back at the man, who's eyes were still searching hers.

"You wouldn't be here if your employer had your blind loyalty." His smile became more natural. "I'm sure he may have told you to come here, to find this," he held up the Platinum Chip. "But you didn't come before me just for this. You're an open book, who's ending hasn't been decided. And you don't trust House." He held out the chip to the girl, who stepped to him and took it. She looked at it for a moment, the remains of her scar itching slightly. Layla's eyes snapped back to Caesar's with a challenging look.

"What makes you think I won't just take it all for myself? Or hand it over to the NCR?" She had forced his move now. Either he thought for sure she'd work for him or he was going to reveal his treachery. The tension that had left the room was back, even thicker now. She could feel every eye in the tent boring into her, though she kept her gaze steady on his.

"You're a clever woman. You see Mojave before you." Caesar seemed calm, this question didn't seem to be a surprise to him. "You see the lies and weakness of the NCR. The poor planning of their army, the mistreatment of resources.

"The NCR will fall, and we will take them. It is inevitable. We will win. You can make this victory far less traumatic to the Mojave, and you know it's the only conclusion to this war."

She had him, and it took everything she had not to smile. Hubris blinded Caesar, and it shouldn't have surprised her. A legion where he stood as God-King for years, held together by his will. It had gone to his head and blinded him. He didn't consider that the girl before him could come to any other conclusion than to submit to him.

Layla kept her face neutral, she had to play this right. She could walk away from this encounter without injury, having gained the platinum chip and its secrets. She just had to convince him she was on board.

"So what do you want me to do with the chip?"

"Go down to the weather station. There's a panel that bears the insignia of the Lucky 38. It also happens to have a slot the size of the chip. I want you to go find what's in that bunker, and destroy it."

A slightly confused look came to Layla's face. "Why don't you have your men do it?"

Caesar smiled at her. "Because if my men see it, I'll have to kill them. Whatever it is in there, a gigantic robot or a super weapon, it represents battle without sacrifice. My men fight for blood. How can victory be obtained with no sacrifice?"

Layla kept a neutral look on her face, despite being mildly horrified at the man's words. He sounded insane. She instead plastered a grin on her face. "I guess I have work to do then."

Caesar's grin almost convinced her she had fooled him, but there was an edge to it, dangerous and subtle.

"I'm sure you noticed our guest. I've let him know you'll decide his fate once you've finished with the bunker. You should go remind him of it on the way out."

Blinking, Layla looked in the direction of the man's gaze and felt her heart drop into her stomach. Benny was kneeling in one of the side tents, hands bound and face bloodied. She hadn't even seen him when she had walked in, focused as she was on Caesar.

Her eyes flew back to the old man, who smiled at her like the devil. "Your first reward for service is choosing his death. You can kill him yourself, bound as he is now or in a fight to the death, or order him crucified. You will choose."

She was wrong. She didn't have Caesar fooled. He didn't trust her yet, and her real test was looking at her from the side tent. If he had his spies watching her as much as it seemed, he had to know her nature, and this was to make sure she had the nerve and bloodlust to be among the Legion.

His face was neutral, and she backed away from where he stood without a word, going to Benny instead. The Chairman didn't look like he had been treated very well by his hosts. Bruises painted his face and blood spattered his checkered coat. He still managed a toothy grin at her when she approached.

"Hey baby, go ahead and laugh. I can appreciate the irony here." He sounded calm, but he looked incredibly happy to see the girl. Oddly, she found herself just as relieved to see him. She chalked it up to the fact he was the first non-legionnaire she'd seen in hours. They stared at each other for a moment, then The Courier spoke.

"I'll laugh later. Right now I need some answers. What's the deal with this chip?" she asked, holding it up for him to see.

"It's the key to the city, some kind of upgrade to the securitrons. The bunker here is where it gets uploaded."

"Caesar wants it destroyed," Layla said. Benny kept smiling.

"And both of us know you're not working for that square. I hadn't planned on telling them anything about it, but let's just say they can be persuasive." His grin faltered a little, especially at the sick face the girl made at him.

"Cheer up, Doll, you've got my legacy now. Go take Vegas for yourself."

"We'll see." Layla said, and looked around casually. Caesar seemed to be ignoring her. She looked back at the Chairman, moving closer and whispering, "But first I'm getting you out of here."

"That's sweet of you to offer, but if you cut these ropes, the whole tent will be on top of you. Get me a stealth boy and a bobby pin though…" He winked at her, and she frowned.

"I'll see what I can do."

"Well, you're a real sport, you know that? I'll be right here, waiting," he gave her another grin. She stepped away from him, carefully pulling her casual face back together as she turned.

The girl knew she was in trouble. If Caesar was going to believe she was on his side, she would have to put Benny to death. She may have considered it in her darker moments, but the weasel didn't deserve to die on a Legion cross, even after what he'd done to her.

She had lost after all. She wasn't going to murder her would-be murderer, and Caesar would know she wasn't subscribing to his ideal. He wouldn't, couldn't let her live, at least not freely, and her mind wrapped around what the dark realities of the alternatives to death could be.

Layla wasn't going to play his game, but she didn't plan on surrendering. She'd find out what the bunker had to offer, then come back and make her decision. Only it wouldn't be the one he expected. _"Then again_,_"_ she though, looking at Caesar, _"maybe it is." _

Nearing the tent flap, Layla nearly ran into Vulpes Inculta as he stepped into her path.

"Where's your pet sniper?" he hissed predatorily, taking a step closer. The girl balked at first, but refused to back up as he invaded her personal space. The Legionary came close enough to skim the surface of her armor with his, "You barely go anywhere without him. I'd say lover's quarrel, but then again, you're not lovers…"

"We had a falling out," Layla lied, breath hitching in her chest. His eyes bore into her, as if trying to see the truth in her mind. Almost everyone suspected there was something between the sniper and herself, but not many knew the details. Just how closely had Inculta been watching them?

His statement alone served to tell her his mind worked just as hers did. Empathy. Could he sense her fear now? Was he able to see her lies and where her loyalty was? How much she desperately wished Boone was at her side now? If any of this was apparent, he didn't make any obvious sign of it.

The Legionary was her opposite in many ways. He used intimidation to instill fear just as she used her charm to soothe and disarm. Only at this moment, her charm was faltering under his intimidation, and he knew it. She suddenly felt more trapped and alone than she had in the entirety of the time she had spent in the camp.

The Frumentarii suddenly smiled at her, and The Courier couldn't tell if he believed her lies or not. "You will prove very useful to Caesar, if your loyalties stand where you say." Without another word, he stepped aside and let her pass.

Layla hurried out of the tent and down to the weather station, ignoring any of the Legionaries who looked her way. Mentally, she wrestled with how she was going to get Benny out. She had to get to her gear and her last stealth boy. She considered for a moment just using the thing herself and sneaking out, but she had to upload the platinum chip's information into the securiton's computers.

Beyond that, no matter how much of an ass Benny had been to her, she couldn't leave him here to a torturous death. She knew this would spell her own doom, but she could sneak at least one gun into her armor. She'd take as many of them with her as she could. It all just depended on her getting to her gear.

When Layla reached the battered weather station, she found a soldier guarding the door. The man pushed a small crate toward her with his foot. "While you are carrying out Caesar's wishes, you may have your equipment back."

The girl smiled genuinely for the first time in what felt like years.

* * *

Hope you're enjoying it so far. Leave a review if you're so inclined :D


	3. Venienti Occurrite Morbo

Well, looks like we'll be finishing this story this week! That means three updates: today, Thursday and Saturday!

* * *

"She's _where_?"

Raul wasn't afraid of Craig Boone. For one thing, the ghoul was more than nine times his age. He also understood what drove the man and knew he wasn't prone to random violence. So when the sniper had arrived at Forlorn hope at Raul's summons and received news of The Courier's whereabouts, Raul knew Boone wasn't going to harm him.

However, when Raul watched the man put a dent into the scrap metal wall he stood next to with his fist, he understood why others might be afraid. Raul wondered for a moment if Boone had lost his cool, but the younger man blew out a breath and seemed to calm down.

He then set down his pack and started sifting through his things, pulling out anything that wasn't stimpaks or ammo. Raul watched him, mildly curious, as he pulled out a glowing bottle of Nuka-Cola Victory. Boone looked at it cryptically, then shoved it back in the bag. He then noticed Raul looking at him.

"How long has she been there?"

Raul sighed, checking the old watch in his pocket. "Five hours."

Boone nodded, then stood, putting his bag over his shoulder and gathering up the discarded items. He made for the quartermaster, hoping he had some grenades to trade. He called back over his shoulder as he went.

"Are you coming?"

Raul looked up at the setting sun for a moment, thinking. On one hand, this was definitely suicide. On the other, he wasn't about to let the guy go on his own. Beyond all of that, Raul knew Layla was in trouble. He didn't have any proof, but he knew the girl. Trouble followed her like her shadow.

He caught up with Boone, hoping the sniper had a plan.

*.*.*

"Do you have a plan?" Raul asked as they made their way toward the Sniper's nest overlooking Cottonwood Cove. Boone stared down at the small town, grimace painted on his face. The ghoul was starting to worry about the man's state of mind.

Raul had known when they had first met that Boone had deep psychological issues. He had brought it up once with Layla, but the girl had given him a grim look and told him she couldn't talk about it. He had gotten some of the story out of Boone, but there were parts the younger man refused to speak about.

At first, he had wondered if they were traveling with a psychopath waiting for the last push to send him over the edge. The old ghoul had also thought Layla couldn't see the danger behind the man, blinded by good intentions and unrequited love. But has time had gone on, Boone had grown more stable. He was fairly sure it was The Courier's influence; she had given him some of the things the sniper never thought he'd have again.

Now Raul trusted Boone, even counted him as a friend. There had been a myriad of reasons why he had informed only the sniper about The Courier's whereabouts. The man's seething hatred of the Legion made him completely willing to shoot his way through their camp, his prowess with a rifle made it semi-possible they would succeed, and he wouldn't think twice about going on a suicide mission. The others had things to live for. Raul and Boone had found that their lives had turned into following Layla into whatever fresh hell she could find.

He knew they were going to die, but he couldn't leave the girl to face her death alone. He owed her his life, and now he was paying her back. Boone had been waiting to die for over a year, and now seemed eager to get his chance. They had come to the metal shack that was the sniper's nest. Raul looked at the sniper, who stared down at the settlement below them, lost in thought.

"Gorobets said they did a little recon on Fortification Hill," Boone finally spoke, "at least what they could see from the Dam. All they were sure of is that the main camp is three concentric circles. More than likely, Caesar's in the center."

"Which means we'll have to fight our way through Cottonwood Cove, take a very exposed raft up the river, then fight our way through three camps of Legionaries, probably take on Caesar's personal guards, pick up Layla and go home?"

Boone was surveying Cottonwood through his scope. He didn't look up. "Yeah, that's about it."

"You're just as bad as she is," Raul muttered. Boone didn't answer, but lowered his rifle. He looked over to Raul, regarding the ghoul carefully.

"Look, you don't owe me anything. If you want to walk away from this, it's fine. I always figured this was how it was going to end-"

"You always thought you'd be trying to rescue an overly idealistic courier from the trap she walked into on purpose?"

"…but I don't expect anyone to get dragged into it," Boone finished. Raul laughed.

"I got 'dragged into' this by her, not you. And I _do _owe her."

Boone nodded, sharing the sentiment. Both men looked at the dark town for a moment. Boone then leveled his rifle at the Legionary closest to their position.

"I'm going to start picking them off. It'll take them time to get up here. Keep them off my back when they do."

"All right. Try to get them quicker than they can run," Raul said, checking to make sure his guns were ready.

Boone nodded, lining up a shot. He took a deep breath and let it out, pulling the trigger. It didn't take long after the man's head exploded before the town started buzzing with activity. The sniper kept lining up shots as more targets exposed themselves. There weren't all that many in Cottonwood now, which meant their chances of getting into The Fort weren't as terrible as he feared.

No matter how fast he kept feeding magazines into his rifle or how many shots he made, he knew it was just a matter of time before a group made their way to them. He knew time had run out when Raul cursed and started shooting.

Boone snapped off one more shot, taking the head off a Decanus. He looked up to find Raul crouched behind a rock, trying to keep the approaching soldiers at bay. Boone swung his rifle their way, picking off a few while Raul shot the legs out from under their leader. Soon they had dispatched the group, and Raul stood from the rock.

"Is that it? It can't be that easy." The words had barely left the ghoul's mouth when both men heard the whirring of motors. Raul looked over the rock he had been hiding behind and cursed in Spanish. Boone looked as well and saw six Legionaries and three mongrels heading their way. Behind them were three men with chainsaws.

The group split up, one circling back around the other side of the rock face. Raul swung his weapon down on the first dog who reached him. It let out a yelp and fell back, but another leapt forward, latching on to the ghoul's arm. Before he could react, a shot cracked the air and impacted the mongrel in the side, launching it off of him.

Boone didn't stop to see if the ghoul was okay, instead running for the other side of the nest and the road that lay beyond. As he rounded the corner, he barely managed to dodge the chainsaw that was swung at him. He dove forward under another swing and landed on his side. As he rolled clear of his attacker, three more Legionaries, all armed with rifles, turned the corner.

The sniper dropped his rifle, drawing his sidearm. He opened fire on the oncoming men, emptying the clip. Only one was left on his feet as Boone shoved another clip in the pistol. He started to clamber to his feet, only to dive out from under the chainsaw again. The weapon bounced off the rock wall, sending sparks and bits of rock into his face.

The man wielding the chainsaw nearly dropped it as it bounced off the rock, and Boone took the opportunity to shoot the man in the face. As he dropped, the sniper looked to where he had seen the last rifleman, and felt a bullet rip into his thigh. He used the last of this clip to take out the Legionary, then stopped to look at his new wound.

It was shallow, something he could just wrap up and ignore. He collected his dropped rifle and headed back up the path to the nest. He could hear Raul's gun still firing, and hurried to join him. Levering himself around the corner carefully, he found the ghoul finishing off the last of the Legionaries.

"Oh, there you are," Raul said as he holstered his gun, then started to search the bodies. "I was starting to worry you'd lost your nerve on me." Boone grunted, then approached the edge of the cliff, raising his rifle's scope to his eye.

There weren't many left at Cottonwood, and Boone started picking them off. Once the coast looked clear, he lowered the gun and found Raul at his side, eyeing the blood which was starting to soak his pants.

"You'd better wrap that. You won't be very effective unconscious."

Boone nodded and quickly tended to his wound. His meager first aid supplies made him miss Layla's medical talents. He put the thought out of his mind. He was going to get her back, he had to focus.

Raul had just finished with the last of the bodies when Boone stood, and together they carefully made their way to the camp. The sniper had done a thorough job of picking off the Legionaries, as the camp seemed to be empty. The ghoul amended the thought as he came across a pen with four people in it.

"Let us out, please!" the elder woman cried when she saw him. Raul noticed the collars on their necks and called Boone over.

"We need to find the key to the collars…" The younger man nodded and started going through the corpses. Raul faced the group in the pen. "Hold on, we'll get you out."

Something was wrong, Raul thought as he and Boone checked the bodies of the dead. The number of men made sense for a small camp, but so far there were none of a high enough rank to be in charge. The mechanic had a bad feeling they were missing at least one more.

"Got it," he heard Boone call to him. The sniper had his pistol drawn, clearly unconvinced the area was safe. They made their way back to the pen and found the family eagerly waiting for them.

Boone circled around the cage, moving to unlock the door. He heard the younger girl shriek and instinctively ducked. A machete sliced the air where his head had been a moment earlier. He lost his footing on the gravel and ended up stumbling to the ground. Looking up, he found a very large man wearing the distinctive armor of a Centurion glaring down at him.

Before the huge man got the chance to swing at him again, Boone snapped a shot off. The bullet pinged off the man's armor, and he kicked Boone hard in the side. The sniper felt a rib crack, but used the momentum to roll out of the way of the next machete swing. The Centurion recovered quickly and stalked after Boone, who struggled to his feet.

Before he got close enough to attack again, three shots rang out, and the Centurion caught two of Raul's bullets in the chest. The officer took a step and looked like he was going to fall for a moment. Instead, he lunged at Boone, blade swinging and injuries seemingly ignored. Boone dodged and swung his own machete down at the Centurion's neck, cleaving into it.

The Centurion sputtered, blood gushing from his mouth as he fell. Boone gave the man a kick to make sure he was indeed dead before reaching down to retrieve his weapon. The blade was stuck in the Centurion's neck, and Boone was unable to free it. He gave the Centurion's machete a look, but the blade was in terrible condition.

Leaving the weapon, he went to unlock the cage. Raul followed and spoke to the captives as Boone freed them from their collars.

"Go to the Old Mormon Fort. The Followers will help you."

"Thank you so much." The elder woman was in tears as she gathered her children to flee. Raul shooed them off as Boone tried one last time to get his blade out of the Legionary. Giving up for good, he walked to the dock.

Raul caught up to the sniper as he found a raft. "Are you ready?"

"Last chance," Boone said warningly. "This might be the last boat we ever take."

Raul shrugged. "I've already signed up for this suicide mission, might as well see it through."

Neither man spoke as they boarded the raft and started for Fortification Hill.

* * *

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	4. Amicitia Me Defendit

Layla's heart pounded in her throat as she walked back into Caesar's tent, once again stripped of her weapons. It took everything she had to keep her face neutral as she stood before the man on the throne. There was a stealth-boy shoved into her pocket with Benny's name on it, but for now she didn't so much as look in his direction.

"I heard the explosions from here," Caesar said. "I take it the bunker is destroyed?" Layla nodded, thankful that the commotion of the station powering up had been enough to fool anyone outside. The Courier worked to keep her face neutral. She had just come from uncovering an army of securitrons, something she hadn't been expecting. Beyond that, the man in front of her had expected her to destroy what she found. She had not.

"Good. Next order of business, then. Why don't you let Benny know what's in store for him?" Caesar smiled as he gestured over to the captive. Layla nodded again and left without a word, walking over to the side tent.

Benny gave her a curious look as she approached. "Well, what was in there?"

"Securitrons, lots of them."

Benny grinned. "House sure had some good plans, I'll give him that. So…" He looked at the girl, face carefully neutral. "Where does that leave us?"

Layla couldn't help but laugh. "Honeymoon's over, but I think I can give a nice parting gift." Benny's face had paled for a moment, thinking she meant to kill him. He then noticed the bulge in the girl's pocket when she casually motioned to it.

"Is Inculta looking this way?" Layla asked.

Benny raised an eyebrow at her. "Baby, he hasn't taken his eyes off you since the first time you came in here. You getting some action on the side?"

The Courier gave him a look. "Why is it all my admirers have unhealthy designs on me?"

"Consider it a compliment, Doll." He saw her face harden for a moment while she took a deep breath.

"Okay," Layla whispered carefully, "I'm just going to give it to you. Get the hell out of here."

"Baby, not that I'm not grateful, but they won't be happy with you for doing this."

Layla laughed again. "Suddenly worried about my well-being? Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." She started to dig in her pocket when a Legionary burst into the tent.

"The Fort is under attack!"

Everyone shared the same shocked moment, then the Legionaries started scurrying around the tent. Caesar barked out orders as the Praetorians made a semi-circle around him. Vulpes Inculta had been waiting for his direct orders from Caesar when he glanced over at The Courier, wondering if she had anything to do with the disturbance. He immediately noticed the captive had disappeared.

"The profligate is gone!" he hissed out loud. Layla noticed every eye in the tent had suddenly turned to her, and she froze.

"I might have known," Caesar said angrily. "Seize her!"

Before anyone could move against her, the girl was already running for the tent opening.

*.*.*

Layla found herself surrounded by five Legionaries. The three Praetorian guards who had followed her out of the tent seemed particularly pleased. The other two, who had been standing guard outside, looked at their commanding officers in confusion. Meanwhile, the girl could hear gunfire from further down the hill. She didn't know who was attacking the fort, but if it was any of her friends, she'd kill them.

One of the Praetorians flexed his hand, which sported a gauntlet-mounted shotgun. Layla hadn't noticed that earlier. "Caesar rescinded his mark on this woman," he announced loudly. The other guards leered as they advanced on the apparently unarmed Courier.

Layla sneered at the group, then let her arms drop to her sides. No one had noticed the engraved magnum tucked into one of the pouches in her armor. Six shots before she had to reload. She had to make sure they didn't take her alive, which meant making them have to kill her.

She waited for them to make the first move, noting none had ranged weapons. One of the Praetorians lunged at her suddenly, and she fell back, drawing the gun.

The man's head exploded on her first shot. She dashed past him through the gap in the circle he had left, just missing the hands that reached out for her. The leering smiles of the Legionaries were replaced by outraged grimaces as they gave chase.

Layla turned and leapt from the level where she had been standing to a lower part of the path. A few of the Legionnaires fortifying the area from the attack in the outer ring noticed her as she landed. Before they were able to react, she quickly fired at the pair in front of her, downing them.

Taking off in a run down the path, Layla risked a look behind her, then wished she hadn't. It looked like there were six men after her now. She furiously dug in her leather armor for the grenade she had hidden. Pulling the pin with her teeth, she dropped it as she ran. A few seconds later, she heard the explosion and looked behind her again. There were three left.

She ducked around one of the large rocks on the path, then turned and fired her last three rounds. Two caught their targets, dropping them. The last wend wide, and The Courier took off running again as the last Praetorian closed the distance between them, having never broken stride.

Layla was out of grenades and only had six more rounds for her magnum, none of which were loaded. She rounded the bend of the hill and found herself face-to-face with three new Legionaries. The girl tried to break to the side when she felt a pair of hands close over her shoulders, violently shoving her to the ground. She landed hard, knocking the wind out of her lungs.

Gasping, The Courier looked up as four pairs of hands reached for her. The Praetorian had roughly grabbed her by the hair and started dragging her to her feet when the air was split by what sounded like a cannon going off. Layla had never been so happy to feel hot blood splash her face as the Praetorian's head exploded. The next closest of the group fell a moment later, grasping at the new hole in his neck.

The remaining two men looked to find the source of the attack. One of them only managed to start a shriek when his head suddenly left his neck, released by a high-caliber round.

The last of the Legionaries quickly turned, hoping to grab the girl as a hostage. Unfortunately for him, Layla had just finished loading her gun and shot a hole through his forehead.

The man fell, clearing her view as Boone and Raul ran toward her. Raul stooped down, helping the shaking girl to her feet. Boone was scanning the area, the bulky rifle still clutched in his hands.

All three looked at each other for a moment, and Layla couldn't decide whether to yell at them or cry from relief. She instead threw her arms around Raul, who hugged her back. Layla looked over to Boone and immediately started blushing. The ghoul shook his head at the two, but Boone didn't seem to notice.

"Are you hurt?" the sniper asked, his usual scowl unchanged.

"No, well, I think my heart's about to shoot out of my chest. Otherwise, I'm fine."

"We shouldn't linger, Boss," Raul said as he looked around the area, which was surprisingly deserted. They hadn't killed that many, he'd thought.

"I agree… but listen, Caesar's in that tent with only five guards…" Both men turn and stared at the girl, who smiled and shrugged. "Just saying."

"I'm not sure we should push our luck," Raul said, looking to Boone.

"We need to get you out of here," the sniper said. "We've pushed our luck far enough…"

Layla put her hands on her hips as she looked at the two men. "Look, how many opportunities are we going to get like this? Do we really want to give it up?"

"This isn't a good idea, Boss," Raul said, checking his guns none-the-less.

"Come on, it'll be easy as shooting a fish in a barrel."

*.*.*

Layla's hands were shaking as she clutched a hand to the bullet wound in her side. The other hand was wrapped around the handle of her magnum. She swallowed; judging by the intense pain, the bullet had hit a rib. She was fairly certain that had deflected it from any important organs.

When they had charged into Caesar's tent, the Praetorians had been ready for them. Layla dispatched the guard dogs while Boone and Raul took shots at the oncoming honor guards.

Layla knew if the legionaries got to them, the advantage would be theirs. She called to the others to back out of the tent, where they would have more room to move. What she hadn't expected was the group of soldiers that had come up from the weather station. She had discovered them when a bullet ripped into her side.

Then all hell broke loose. Boone tossed a grenade at the group while Raul pulled Layla toward the cover of a huge rock wall. Before they reached the wall, the ghoul was shot in the leg and went down. The Courier pulled him to the wall, the ghoul shooting any who approached them.

Layla didn't know what had happened to Boone. Judging by the distinctive crack of his rifle not far off, he was still moving. For now, the Legionaries seemed to be more interested in him than the two wounded companions.

"We have to help him," Layla said, taking her hand off her side to see how bad the damage was. She thought she saw rib bone and paled.

"I'm not going anywhere right now, Boss." Raul said. The girl looked at his leg and winced; it looked like the shot had hit his shin bone. She opened her mouth to ask him about the extent of the damage when she heard the scream of an engine.

"¡Mierda!" Raul hissed between his clenched teeth.

The question on Layla's lips died when the origin of the noise rounded the bend. The girl gaped as a man wielding a chainsaw spotted them. She leveled the gun in her shaking hands and fired. The shot struck the man in the side, but didn't slow him.

Spewing swears, the girl pumped every round she could into the charging man, who didn't seem to be slowing.

*.*.*

Boone swung his rifle into the closest Legionary. There were at least ten closing in on him. They were too close to shoot with his rifle, and his pistol was out of ammo. That didn't leave much to work with.

Some of the soldiers had rifles trained on him, but didn't fire. They were looking to take him alive. He wouldn't let that happen if he could help it. He also realized as he smashed the rifle into the face of another Decanus that he hadn't heard any gunfire in a few minutes. That meant that either Layla and Raul had escaped, or they were dead. Or, he thought grimly as he felt someone grab him from behind, they were taken alive.

The idea of his companions in the Legion's hands made him see red, and he flung the man off his back. He took one more swing with the rifle, then dropped it, throwing a punch at the closest of the group. The sniper saw one of the Praetorians surge forward and swung at him as he approached. The other man dodged his attack and answered with his own, catching Boone in the jaw.

The sniper saw stars for a brief moment before the red returned. He barely felt the hands gripping his arms as he lashed out with all his strength. His fist connected with the Praetorian, who stumbled back. Before Boone could throw another punch, another Legionary wrapped his arms around the sniper from behind. The man pinned Boone's arms to his sides and squeezed. Pain erupted from the sniper's side as his arm was pressed into his broken rib. He struggled to free himself when he suddenly heard an out-of-place noise.

Screams almost drowned out the sound of a motor whirring, and the Praetorian was suddenly missing his head. The other Legionaries didn't get a chance to recover as Layla tore into them with a chainsaw. Soon it was down to her and the Legionary who was grappling Boone.

Boone couldn't help but marvel at the girl, covered in gore and glaring at his captor. She revved the chainsaw threateningly, eyes bright.

"Let him go, and I won't bisect you from the bottom up," she said too calmly, and the Legionary seemed to break under the threat as he looked at the remains of his compatriots. Boone suddenly felt the hands on him shove him to the side and he had to fight to keep on his feet. He looked up in time to see Layla reach the Legionary, then heard the chainsaw whining over blood curdling screams.

Layla looked down at the man she had just killed and cracked a faint grin. "Well, shame on me for lying." She looked over to see if Boone was okay and nearly blacked out as the pain in her side suddenly resurfaced.

She felt arms wrap around her and struggled weakly. She had come too far to be caught now.

"Hey, it's me," Boone said, trying to keep her on her feet. She shook her head, clearing away the fog. She felt the bullet in her side shift and hissed out a breath.

"Where's Raul?"

"Over here," came the ghoul's voice from further up the path. "Tell me someone has some Med-X, or at least another bullet."

Boone released Layla, who gingerly made her way back up to where she had left the ghoul. He was holding the hunk of cloth the girl had pressed onto his leg and giving his other companions a wry look. Layla started toward the ghoul, digging for her medical equipment, when she heard him shout at her.

"Get down!"

Before she had a chance to move, she heard an angry shout from Boone as a fist connected between her shoulder blades. The Courier groaned and slumped to the ground. She watched, stunned, as Lucius, the head of the Praetorians, stepped over her to take a swing at Boone. Her vision blurred, and she blacked out.

Some time later, The Courier's eyes snapped open. She was still on the ground where she had fallen, but neither Boone nor Lucius were in sight. She levered herself to her feet, retrieving her chainsaw from where she had dropped it. As she straightened, she heard someone behind her.

"I underestimated your friends," Caesar said as he approached.

Layla turned to fully face him and laughed. "So did I."

"This wasn't planned, was it?" The older man shook his head in disbelief. "You really did come here, all alone and defenseless, thinking you could take me on in my own fortress. Look at you; you're barely standing, and your allies won't last much longer. You've failed, and you will pay for your failure. You'll hang from a cross alongside your friends, your NCR masters, and any in the Mojave who would dare oppose my Legion."

Layla didn't answer, instead pulling the ignition cord of her chainsaw. Caesar flexed his arm and swung at her, his Displacer glove crackling with energy. Layla just barely dodged the blow and swung the chainsaw in his wake, catching the arm with the glove just below the elbow. The arm came away in a fountain of blood.

Caesar fell to his knees, pressing the stump of his arm into his chest. He looked up at the girl, fury in his eyes.

"And now what?" Caesar spat. "Kill me and every Legionary in Arizona will come for you. Bring me to 'justice' at the hands of the NCR, and you'll just strengthen the Legion's resolve against them. Either way, you lose."

Layla hesitated, unsure of what to do. She wagered the Mojave would be better served with his death, but she didn't like making a martyr of him. She moved closer to the man, thinking to at least check how badly he was bleeding, when a shot rang out, catching Caesar between the eyes.

Layla spun around to see Boone lowering his rifle, a grim look on his face.

"Thumbs down, you son of a bitch."

* * *

The last chapter will go up on Saturday, after that, we get into Dead Money. Thanks for reading (write a review and let me know what you think!).


	5. Vade in Pace

A wide range of emotions radiated from the group standing at the dock of Cottonwood Cove. Frightened but hopeful former slaves all huddled together, unsure of what to do with their new freedom. The two NCR soldiers who had been rescued from the Arena were ecstatic, both at their release and at the death of Caesar. Layla got the feeling her companions were angry at her.

The girl herself felt like she had been shot and beaten up, which was accurate. She ignored her discomforts, however, as she finished binding the shoulder of Private Fielding, the man she had rescued from crucifixion. Layla administered a shot of Med-X to the soldier, who gave her a hazy grin.

"So, you wanna grab a drink when I'm on my feet?"

Layla laughed. "You don't waste any time, huh?"

"I'm not one to waste a second chance. So, when can I pick you up?"

Smiling, the Courier put away her medical equipment. "How about you get some sleep instead?" The man's eyes were already drooping as she spoke.

"I like a woman who plays hard to get," he murmured as he closed his eyes, falling asleep as the Med-X kicked in. He'd live, but would need some time to recover. The Courier had been immensely relieved they'd been able to save the trooper, and glad she had kept her promise.

Looking over to the others, she caught Siri's eye. The woman had taken a leadership role among the ex-slaves, and they were still trying to come to a consensus on what to do now. The Courier hoped they'd take her advice and go to the Followers. They would need time to adjust to their freedom.

"Well hey, Baby, I didn't think I'd be seeing you again." The Courier spun, gaping as Benny strolled up to her. The Chairman smiled toothily at her, and despite the bruises on his face, looked quite happy.

Layla opened her mouth to speak and suddenly realized both Boone and Raul had appeared at her sides. Both men were warily eyeing Benny, who was only mildly leering at her. The girl realized how uncomfortable things would get if they found out exactly who they were dealing with.

"Glad to see you made it out alive," Layla said casually.

"Well, I have you to thank, little lady. So thanks." He smiled again, and Layla couldn't help but smile back.

"What are you going to do now?" Benny shrugged and looked up at the sun for a moment.

"I'll keep out of your hair for starters. I think I've run out my welcome with you." He gave her a sidelong look, and found her crossing her arms over her chest, "So don't worry about me, Doll. Benny lands on his feet. I'd tell you to keep out of trouble, but you've got enough of it on your plate already. Make Vegas swing, baby." With that, he turned and walked away.

Layla watched him go, then realized what he had just said. Her eyes widened, then snapped back to normal. Maybe they hadn't noticed-

"_Benny_?" she heard from Boone. She winced and turned to face both men. Raul was giving her a surprised and angry look. Boone was watching the retreating figure of the man, hand slowly reaching for his rifle.

"Come on, no need for that," Layla said, putting a hand on Boone's arm to stop him. "We've all been through enough today."

"Why was he here? Was he with you at the Fort?" Raul said suspiciously.

Layla bit her lip. She had hoped to gloss over what had happened in Caesar's tent. She started to don one of her placating smiles, but gave up at the look both Boone and Raul were giving her.

"Okay, listen…" She tried to think of a way to phrase this bit of information. "The Legion captured him. Caesar wanted me to choose how he died. You've seen how they execute their prisoners. I couldn't do that, not even to Benny, so I helped him escape. It… didn't go very smoothly." She didn't mention that she'd known the plan was doomed from the start. Even with the guards distracted, she'd known Inculta was watching them. She had been ready to go down fighting.

"So you nearly got yourself crucified to help the guy who shot you in the head?" Layla winced at Boone's tone. She wasn't usually on the receiving end of his anger.

"You got a soft spot for this guy, Boss?" Raul asked with a hint of suspicion. "Cass told us what happened at the Tops…"

"Dammit, I didn't fuck Benny! Why won't anyone believe me?" Her exclamation left both men staring at her in silence. A few other heads turned in her direction as well. She would have been embarrassed, but a thought had just come to her, a nagging suspicion she hadn't noticed until now. Her face suddenly clouded, and she looked back across the river in the direction of Fortification Hill.

"What is it?" Raul asked, thinking she was just trying to change the subject.

"Did we ever find Vulpes Inculta's body?"

The ghoul frowned. "The scout?" The girl nodded, still looking towards the river. "I never saw him," he answered. "I thought you checked."

"I did…" Layla turned back to them, sighing. "Well, I'm sure that'll end well. The whole Legion's going to know exactly what happened and who to blame. They'll be after us."

"To be fair, Boss, I don't think that's going to change much."

Before the conversation could go any further, Siri approached the group. The newly freed women had a plan.

*.*.*

Layla felt like she was going to vomit, pass out and start laughing hysterically all at the same time. Dr. Richards had assured it was just the adrenaline leaving her system combined with her blood loss. He had offered her a shot of Med-X to calm her, but she had declined.

She laid back on one of the cots in the medical tent of Forlorn Hope. Raul dozed in the next cot. The ghoul had not declined the painkiller when they had pulled the bullet out of his leg. Boone stood nearby, his numerous wounds freshly bandaged.

"Thank you," The Courier said quietly. Boone turned to look at her, and she saw Raul's head turn her way. She almost smiled at them, but it suddenly withered into a frown. "You shouldn't have come. You both could have been killed. And you," she looked at Raul, "You promised you wouldn't tell."

The ghoul shrugged lazily. "Sorry Boss, I lied."

"Why did you go alone?" Boone demanded suddenly. "Why didn't you take me?"

"I didn't take you because I -" She paused, knowing this wasn't going to go well. "I wanted to see what they had to say." The face Boone made was about what she expected. "Not to join them. I just wanted to know why they'd even bother to contact me. Besides, how many opportunities was I going to get to see them in their element?"

The Courier sighed. "And, I didn't want you to get yourself killed." She hadn't planned to say that bit, but she meant it. She glanced up at Boone, who was looking thoughtfully at her.

"You shouldn't have gone alone."

I wasn't about to have one of you crucified right next to me." She frowned and looked at both of her companions again. "It's a miracle we all didn't end up dead. Or worse"

"We weren't going to let you run off to your doom alone." Raul cracked a lazy grin. "We're just as stupid as you."

Layla laughed, then grabbed her side as pain shot through her. She looked back at her friends again.

"I guess it was stupid…but," She dug in her shirt, pulling out the Platinum Chip. "At least I got this back. Besides, we killed Caesar, so it all worked out."

"It won't stop the Legion," Boone said. "They're still coming."

Layla gave him a sidelong look, grinning. "It felt good though, didn't it?"

Boone grinned back. "Yeah it did."

Raul snorted, "I told you you were just as bad as she is."

* * *

I hope you've enjoyed our trip to the Fort! Starting this Tuesday, we'll be digging into Dead Money with "Playing the Board"


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